The 2015 derailment in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Amtrak has operated most intercity passenger rail transportation in the United States since May 1, 1971. This list contains serious incidents – those with deaths or more than 20 injuries of passengers or railroad personnel – that have involved Amtrak trains. (It does not include most grade crossing accidents and trespasser strikes that did not cause significant injury aboard the trains.) All serious incidents involving Amtrak are investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB); incidents with suspected criminal activity (notably a 1995 wreck in Arizona) are also investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The most number of fatalities in a single incident was 47 in the Big Bayou Canot crash in 1993, when the Sunset Limited fell off a bridge that had been struck by a barge eight minutes earlier. Five other incidents have caused ten or more deaths: a 1987 collision with freight locomotives in Maryland, a 1971 derailment in Illinois, a 1996 collision with a commuter train in Maryland, a 1999 grade crossing accident in Illinois, and a 1977 grade crossing accident in Florida. A 1990 derailment and collision with a commuter train in Massachusetts caused 453 injuries but no deaths.

Date Train Location Type of incident Deaths Injuries Description NTSB report
or docket
June 10, 1971 City of New Orleans Salem, Illinois Derailment 11 163 The train derailed due to a seized axle. RAR-72-5
March 18, 1973 Broadway Limited East Palestine, Ohio Derailment 1 19[1]
May 30, 1974 Floridian Winamac, Indiana Derailment 0 29[2]
August 12, 1974 Silver Star Wake Forest, North Carolina Derailment 0 28[3][4]
October 1, 1975 Floridian Pulaski, Tennessee Derailment 0 31 The train derailed due to spreading of the rail. RAR-76-6
November 19, 1975 Turboliner Elwood, Illinois Grade crossing 0 41 The train was struck by a dump truck at a grade crossing. RHR-76-2
June 30, 1976 Panama Limited Goodman, Mississippi Derailment 1 51 The train derailed due to track failure, caused by oscillation of the train from poor track quality.
December 15, 1976 Lone Star Marland, Oklahoma Grade crossing 3 11 The train struck a tanker truck at a grade crossing.
December 16, 1976 San Francisco Zephyr Ralston, Nebraska Derailment 0 63 The train derailed due to defective track. RAR-77-8
January 16, 1977 Floridian New Castle, Alabama Derailment 0 76 The train derailed due to oscillations from defective track. RAR-77-9
October 2, 1977 Floridian Plant City, Florida Grade crossing 10 0 The train struck a pickup truck at a grade crossing, killing all ten occupants of the truck. RHR-78-2
June 9, 1978 Montrealer Seabrook, Maryland Train collision 0 176 A Conrail commuter train collided with the rear end of the Amtrak train. RAR-79-3
March 28, 1979 Empire Builder Lohman, Montana Derailment 0 48 The train derailed due to a cracked wheel. RAR-79-7
April 20, 1979 Metroliner Edison, New Jersey Equipment collision 0 73 The train struck track maintenance equipment. RAR-79-10
October 2, 1979 Southwest Limited Lawrence, Kansas Derailment 2 69 The train derailed on a curve due to excessive speed. RAR-80-4
October 12, 1979 Shawnee Harvey, Illinois Train collision 6 44 The train collided with a parked Illinois Central Gulf Railroad freight train. RAR-80-3
March 14, 1980 Empire Builder East Glacier Park, Montana Derailment 0 115 The train derailed on a curve while leaving East Glacier Park station. RAR-80-6
April 2, 1980 Silver Star Lakeview, North Carolina Train collision 0 123 The train collided head-on with a Seaboard Coast Line freight train. RAR-80-8
July 9, 1980 Quaker City Linden, New Jersey Equipment collision 1 17 The train struck a rail protruding from a work train. RAR-80-12
November 7, 1980 Empire State Express Dobbs Ferry, New York Train collision 0 84 A Conrail freight train collided with the Amtrak train. RAR-81-04
March 29, 1982 Benjamin Franklin Bristol, Pennsylvania Train collision 0 32 A locomotive sent to rescue the disabled train collided with it. RAR-82-05
June 15, 1982 San Francisco Zephyr Emerson, Iowa Derailment 1 27 The train derailed due to flooding of the tracks. RAR-83-02
June 23, 1982 Coast Starlight Gibson, California Fire 2 61 A fire of unknown cause took place in a passenger car. RAR-83-03
April 3, 1983 Crescent Rockfish, Virginia Derailment 0 24 The train derailed due to debris from a landslide. RAR-83-10
July 28, 1983 State House Wilmington, Illinois Grade crossing 0 21 The train struck a delivery truck at the grade crossing. RAR-84-02
November 12, 1983 Eagle Woodlawn, Texas Derailment 4 72 The train derailed due to a cracked rail. RAR-85-01
March 5, 1984 Silver Star Kittrell, North Carolina Derailment 0 52 The train derailed due to a broken axle on a locomotive. RAR-85-03
May 29, 1984 Capitol Limited Connellsville, Pennsylvania Derailment 0 23 The train derailed due to a collapsed culvert. RAR-86-01-SUM
July 7, 1984 Montrealer Williston, Vermont Derailment 5 29 The train derailed due to a collapsed culvert. RAR-85-14
July 11, 1984 Silver Star McBee, South Carolina Grade crossing 2 5 The train struck a gasoline tanker at a grade crossing.[5]
July 23, 1984 Shoreliner
New England Zip 		Queens, New York Train collision 1 140 The two trains collided head-on on the Hell Gate Line viaduct. RAB-85-07
RAR-85-09
April 16, 1985 California Zephyr Granby, Colorado Derailment 0 32 The train derailed due to debris from a landslide. RAR-86-01-SUM
October 9, 1986 Empire Builder Fall River, Wisconsin Derailment 1 30 The train derailed at a crossover due to an improperly designed signal system. RAR-87-06
January 4, 1987 Colonial Chase, Maryland Train collision 16 174 The train collided with three Conrail locomotives that had failed to stop at a signal. RAR-88-01
October 12, 1987 California Zephyr Russell, Iowa Train collision 0 112 The train collided with a work train due to an improperly set switch. RAR-88-04
January 29, 1988 Night Owl Chester, Pennsylvania Equipment collision 0 24 The train struck track maintenance equipment. RAR-89-01
August 5, 1988 Empire Builder Saco, Montana Derailment 0 106 The train derailed due to a track defect. RAR-89-03
September 28, 1989 Crescent Catlett, Virginia Grade crossing 3 81 The train struck a fire engine at a grade crossing.[6]
December 19, 1989 San Joaquins Stockton, California Grade crossing 3[7] 50 The train struck a tractor-trailer at a grade crossing. RHR-90-01
April 23, 1990 California Zephyr Batavia, Iowa Derailment 0 86 The train derailed due to improperly installed track. RAR-91-05
December 12, 1990 Night Owl Boston, Massachusetts Derailment
Train collision 		0 453 The train derailed due to excessive speed on a curve and collided with an MBTA Commuter Rail train at Back Bay station. RAR-92-01
July 31, 1991 Silver Star Lugoff, South Carolina Derailment 8 77 The train derailed due to a set of switch points moving under the train. RAR-93-02
April 29, 1992 Colonial Newport News, Virginia Grade crossing 1 54 The train struck a dump truck at a grade crossing.[8]
August 12, 1992 Colonial Newport News, Virginia Derailment 0 74 The train derailed due to a sabotaged switch.[9]
September 22, 1993 Sunset Limited Mobile, Alabama Derailment 47 103 The train struck a bridge that had been pushed out of alignment by a barge collision, fell into a river, and caught fire. RAR-94-01
May 16, 1994 Silver Meteor Selma, North Carolina Train collision 1 121 The train collided with a trailer that was falling off a passing CSX freight train. RAR-95-02
August 3, 1994 Lake Shore Limited Batavia, New York Derailment 0 118 The train derailed due to a track defect. RAR-96-02
October 9, 1995 Sunset Limited Palo Verde, Arizona Derailment 1 78 The train derailed due to sabotage of the rails.
February 16, 1996 Capitol Limited Silver Spring, Maryland Train collision 11 26 The train collided with a MARC commuter train that had overrun a signal. RAR-97-02
November 23, 1996 Fast Mail / Carolinian Secaucus, New Jersey Derailment 0 43 The Fast Mail derailed on the Portal Bridge, sideswiping the Carolinian. SIR-97-01
August 9, 1997 Southwest Chief Kingman, Arizona Derailment 0 183 The train derailed due to a damaged bridge. RAR-98-03
December 20, 1998 Texas Eagle Arlington, Texas Derailment 0 22 The train derailed due to a track defect. RAR-01-02
March 15, 1999 City of New Orleans Bourbonnais, Illinois Grade crossing 11 122 The train struck a tractor-trailer at a grade crossing. RAR-02-01
February 5, 2001 Empire Service Syracuse, New York Train collision 0 62 The train collided with a CSX freight train. RAR-01-04
March 17, 2001 California Zephyr Nodaway, Iowa Derailment 1 77 The train derailed due to a track defect. RAB-02-01
September 13, 2001 California Zephyr Salduro, Utah Train collision 0 24 The train collided with a Union Pacific freight train.
April 18, 2002 Auto Train Crescent City, Florida Derailment 4 142 The train derailed due to a heat-induced kink in the track. RAR-03-02
July 29, 2002 Capitol Limited Kensington, Maryland Derailment 0 95 The train derailed due to a track defect. RAB-04-05
April 1, 2003 Pacific Surfliner San Juan Capistrano, California Employee collision 2 0 The train struck two track workers. RAB-04-01
May 6, 2003 Silver Star Hinesville, Georgia Grade crossing 2 27 The train struck a lumber truck at a grade crossing.[10]
April 6, 2004 City of New Orleans Flora, Mississippi Derailment 1 46 The train derailed due to a track defect. RAR-05-02
April 3, 2005 Empire Builder Home Valley, Washington Derailment 0 30 The train derailed due to a track defect. RAB-06-03
November 30, 2007 Pere Marquette Chicago, Illinois Train collision 0 74 The train collided with a Norfolk Southern Railway freight train. RAR-09-01
March 13, 2008 Acela Providence, Rhode Island Employee collision 1 2 The train struck two track workers. RAB-09-04
June 24, 2011 California Zephyr Fallon, Nevada Grade crossing 6[11] The train was struck by a tractor-trailer at a grade crossing.
October 29, 2014 Empire Service Clermont, New York Employee collision 1 0 The train struck a track worker. RAB-15-06
March 9, 2015 Carolinian Halifax, North Carolina Grade crossing 0 74 The train struck a truck with an oversize load at a grade crossing. HQ-2015-1025
May 12, 2015 Northeast Regional Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Derailment 8 185 The train derailed due to excessive speed on a curve. RAR-16-02
March 14, 2016 Southwest Chief Cimarron, Kansas Derailment 0 28 The train derailed due to track damage caused by an agricultural vehicle. RAB-17-11
April 3, 2016 Palmetto Chester, Pennsylvania Equipment collision 2 39 The train struck a backhoe being used for track work. RAR-17-02
June 27, 2017 Northeast Regional Washington, D.C. Employee collision 2 0 The train struck two CSX workers walking along their train. RAB-19-01
December 18, 2017 Amtrak Cascades DuPont, Washington Derailment 3 65 The train derailed due to excessive speed on a curve. RAR-19-01
January 31, 2018 Charter train Crozet, Virginia Grade crossing 1 9 The train struck a garbage truck at a grade crossing HAB-19-03
February 4, 2018 Silver Star Cayce, South Carolina Train collision 2 92 The train collided with a stopped CSX freight train. RAR-19-02
September 25, 2021 Empire Builder Joplin, Montana Derailment 3[12] 50 The train derailed due to a track defect. RIR-23-08
June 27, 2022 Southwest Chief Mendon, Missouri Grade crossing 4 150[13] The train derailed after colliding with a dump truck obstructing a railroad crossing. RIR-23-09

References

  1. ^ "Ohio Amtrak Wreck Kills One, Hurts 19". New York Times. March 19, 1973. p. 70.
  2. ^ "Amtrak Passenger Train Derails In Northern Indiana, 29 Injured". The Herald. May 1, 1974. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Wake Forest Fire Department, Our History". Wake Forest Fire Department. Retrieved July 3, 2017..
  4. ^ "Amtrak Train Derails In North Carolina". Independent-Journal. August 13, 1974. p. 28.
  5. ^ "AMTRAK TRAIN HITS TRUCK CARRYING GAS; 2 ARE KILLED". New York Times. July 12, 1984. p. A12.
  6. ^ Henderson, Nell (September 30, 1989). "VIEW OF CROSSING OBSTRUCTED IN FATAL VA. TRAIN CRASH". Washington Post.
  7. ^ Shuit, Douglas P.; Malnic, Eric (December 20, 1989). "Stockton Train Crash Kills 3, Injures Dozens". Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^ Ellerton, Delbert (March 31, 1995). "Amtrak, Family Settle Over Fatal Collision". Daily Press. Newport News. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  9. ^ Smith, Bryan (December 21, 1993). "Man Gets 17 1/2-year Term In 1992 Amtrak Derailment". Daily Press. Newport News. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  10. ^ "Engineer dies from injuries". The Savannah Morning News. Savannah, Georgia. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
  11. ^ "Investigators piece together Nevada Amtrak crash". Denver Post. June 27, 2011.
  12. ^ "Sheriff's office: At least 3 killed in Amtrak derailment". The Spokesman-Review. September 25, 2021.
  13. ^ Luczak, Marybeth (July 1, 2022). "NTSB Investigation of Amtrak Southwest Chief Derailment Under Way, BNSF Track Opens, Lawsuits Filed". Railway Age. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
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